Sponsors receive assurance from sport trust

Mentor Robert Gillett-Jackson (left) watches Nick Palmer do a dead lift during training at the high-performance centre at the HB Regional Sports Park in Hastings. Photo/Warren Buckland

Transparency and accountability go hand in hand whenever there's talk of building a culture or brand of success.

When it comes to investing in young talent around the country, Pathway to Podium provides a robust programme that transcends the benefits of dumbbells and diets to help chisel their templates.

"There are some really enthusiastic supporters out there who actually contribute funds to different avenues that could go to these athletes but, unfortunately, it could be done a little smarter," says Marcus Agnew, the health and sport development manager of the Sir Graeme Avery-driven Hawke's Bay Community Fitness Centre Trust, after the fourth intake of eight athletes for 2017-18.

Briana Stephenson and Georgia Hulls are the returning athletes.

Referring to all athletes generally and not specifically pathway ones, Agnew says fund providers aren't necessarily making sure youngsters have a concrete plan in place for their sport or their lives.

"You might get a kid getting a handout from somewhere in the community so, like anything in life, when we're getting something for free we don't know how to earn it.

"That turns out almost to be doing more harm than good so it's really important to make sure these kids do have a plan to look after themselves."

It's easy for athletes to adopt a mind set of not wanting to work or obtain education so a script that starts with a promising plot ends up with a sad ending.

Ideally, Agnew is hoping those who will offer a fiscal fillip will find peace of mind that the resources will go to an organisation which knows its athletes who have received guidance in creating a transparent template.

Sponsors tend to find themselves under pressure to screen callers associated with talent asking for support for an athlete, never mind trying to figure out if the individual has pedigree warranting that level of assistance.

That's where the trust becomes a sole point of contact for sponsors to ensure there's no confusion surrounding the type of support the emerging talent need.

The trust is operating out of the temporary HPSNZ training facility at the HB Regional Sports Park in Hastings. Avery is spearheading a fundraising campaign for a $17 million complex. The Hastings District Council has committed $4m towards the cause.

The Pathway to Podium programme runs in collaboration with Sport Hawke's Bay.

Inductees have been selected nationally as athletes having the highest potential in the Bay to foot it at high-performance level.

"It's a great recognition for athletes for higher honours."

The codes' national bodies had nominated them and Higher Performance Sport New Zealand then made the final selections from each code's capped number of candidates.

Agnew, who looks after the Bay hub, says the eight inductees were selected from about 300 nominees throughout the country.

"People sometimes overestimate, if I can say it that way, the amount of help these young athletes get so they still need a lot of support regionally."

What they do receive is a series of 10 workshops centred around three disciplines:

■ Nutrition
■ Sport psychology
■ Athlete life - primarily off-field matters to map out their lives pertaining to education and careers

"We also provide physical conditioning services but we generate that ourselves in trying to raise money to get them into the gym," he says, stressing that is the fourth area requiring funds.

2017-2018 inductees

■ Nick Palmer (athletics)

■ Guy Harrison (para athletics)

■ Laura Langley (athletics)

■ Jaydi Taylor-Chaffey (netball)

■ Harry Lawson (hockey)

■ Hamish Legarth (kayaking)

■ Briana Stephenson (netball/athletics)

■ Georgia Hulls (athletics)